The last time the French invaded the musical landscape in America, the whole country was asking "Voulez-vous couchéz avec moi?" That Air not only made it to the airwaves here, but that they became the center of a French dance revolution conquering all corners of the globe is a miracle, if not a little funny when you think about it. Though acts like Daft Punk and Stardust also rendered francophobes utterly uncool, Air are the French Band that everyone and their mother want to be. The easy way their breezy lounge music was embraced everywhere in 1998 perfectly complements their plushly comfortable beats, played with a panache that gave Wallpaper subscribers a reason to look forward to the 21st Century.

Were it not for the brilliance of Moon Safari, Air's Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoît Dunckel may not have even entered our airspace radars. Though known in who's-who circles in the mid-'90s for their quirky remixes and singles, Air's debut album forced the rest of us to accept that there's more to the Moog cookbook than just processed cheese. Air fashioned an album that completely fulfills your need for aural stimulation no matter what setting you're in. Whether conversing in your Gucci suit over martinis at a bar or studying all night for that French midterm in the library, Moon Safari provides the perfect soundtrack.

The problem in absorbing Moon Safari, however, is that you miss the little in-jokes, the revelry, and the intimate moments scattered all over it. Tongue-in-cheek tracks like the Euro-trashy "Sexy Boy" and the sparkling ode to Charlie's Angels, "Kelly Watch The Stars," placed next to the slight nuances of the earnest "You Make It Easy" or the quasi-tribute to Burt Bacharach on "Ce Matin La," makes repeat plays a worthwhile exercise.

Strangely enough, the release of Premiers Symptomes has enhanced the mystique and magic behind Moon Safari. A pleasurable listen for its more exotic, danceable rhythms, and its willingness to groove as well as sway, makes it fascinating in comparison to the more polished and sedate Safari. Tracks like "Modular Mix" and "Brakes On" prove that Air need not merely become that band in your collection that only sees the light of day when elegant nothingness is called for. Furthermore, it gives one hope that a super dance record is within the grasp of the duo, something that will blow away the insipid Vengaboys and Steps of the world.

Their most recent effort is also responsible for proving Air to be strong composers with more on their minds than vocoders and breathy vocals. Their edgy, melancholic score for Sofia Coppola's first feature film, "The Virgin Suicides," unfolds like four seasons in one day (or more specifically, one hour). Air's success at transporting us to those lazy, hazy days of adolescence, played out in an era known for its unclear boundaries between innocent curiosity and carnal desires, was destined to happen even before the album or movie were released. Few artists were able to recreate, and not imitate, the retro-cool of the '70s with the edge that Air could.

The great thing about their music is that it can transport you to another place entirely different from where you actually sit. Whether it's the beaches of Bali or the windswept view from the Golden Gate Bridge, there's little need to look for the meaning behind the words or the names of the instruments being played. It's about finding that place in yourself which is free of the world's troubles and allowing that oasis within to be your home for a little while. When you listen to Air, that place becomes the equivalent of pure tranquility, and sharing that peace with someone else is one step short of heaven. Even though Air are destined to make even better music in the future, they are at least responsible for making that small contribution to the world.

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Check out these Air reviews: Moon Safari, Premiers Symptomes, The Virgin Suicides